ABSTRACT
Italians have been coming to London since the Middle Ages. Until the Reformation many bankers and merchants, architects, actors, doctors and surgeons, and clerics, in London especially, were of recognised Italian origin. With the Reformation, the Italians as a special group tended to disappear. The high frequency of contact, and the large number of associations and other services run by Italianates for other Italianates, make it possible to talk about an Italian community in London. The final demographic position is not at all clear. In 1933 members of the Italian community in London published a guide-book containing an alphabetical list of 2,906 persons of Italian origin. The difference in attitude towards English and Italian culture, which was thought to be related to the length of residence, and the regional differences in Italy, also influenced the selection of persons to be interviewed.
